Evangelism

I gotta be honest, I don't like the word "evangelism". Whenever I hear it I just see that timid youth group kid awkwardly asking me the scripted line off of a clipboard that is supposed to deceive people into thinking they're taking a survey, "If you were to die today, would you know for certain that you would get into heaven?" I then respond with, "Of course! I'm a Christian too. God bless. I will be praying for your ministry." But that answer is not good enough for the chaperone firmly overshadowing this terrified preteen. Convert, CONVERT, CONVERT! So as I turn to walk away I hear, "No, but are you sure you would get into heaven?" I assure you this has happened to me on more than one occasion and the only thing I feel I can do in this situation is turn and walk away.

Now I don't really think "evangelism" should be a word. Just hear me out here. Think of the best restaurant you've ever eaten at. After you ate there, what did you do? Did you go to a class to figure out analogies to explain to people how good that restaurant was? Did you awkwardly stand in the middle of the mall stopping random shoppers asking them if they had ever eaten at that restaurant? No, you told every person you came into conversation with about this restaurant and what you ordered and how good it was and how attentive the server was and so on. Why? Because you experienced something good and you want those who you care about to experience it too. The latter is love, the former sounds a bit more like advertising doesn't it?

Matthew 22:37-39 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

If you feel the urge to evangelize for any other reason than love, just don't evangelize. What you need to work on first is loving, then "evangelism" will come naturally. 

DISCLAIMER:

I am not opposed to evangelism. I am opposed to the flawed practices that some call evangelism that do not advance the Kingdom of God and in times actually hinder it.